What Is a Nonprofit Content Calendar and Why Do You Need One?

To develop a sustainable, impactful social media strategy for your organization, planning is key. That’s where a nonprofit content calendar comes in. By outlining ahead of time what kind of content you want to post each month, you can set realistic deadlines, ensure your social media posts support your broader organizational strategy, and avoid missing key opportunities to engage supporters. 

If you’re not sure where to get started with creating your nonprofit content calendar, read on to learn how to make a content calendar that drives your organization’s goals! 

What is the first step in creating a nonprofit content calendar?

When you sit down to make a content calendar for your nonprofit, start by identifying the main objectives that you want to achieve. This may vary from month to month or season to season, and your content should reflect that. For example, if most of your fundraising efforts take place in the winter months and you usually spend the summer raising awareness, note this in your content calendar and work backward from there to plan specific post themes and topics. This will help keep your social media strategy focused and aligned with major initiatives. 

What should be included in a content calendar?

Your nonprofit content calendar should include content themes and objectives, key dates, and information about which social media channels you’ll be using. It’s also worth noting deadlines, especially for content that will require a little more work to create or go through a lengthy approval process, as this will ensure your team won’t be left scrambling at the last minute.

What content calendar holidays should be included?

As you’re planning out your content calendar for the year, take note of major holidays, cause awareness days and months, giving days, and other dates that might drive greater engagement. You don’t need to post tailored content on all these dates (in fact, doing so will likely cause your content calendar to become cluttered and unfocused) so work with your team to identify the most important content calendar holidays for your nonprofit and plan content around them. 

It’s also worth noting which days to avoid posting content altogether. If most people are likely to be off work on a particular day, they may not be checking social media. 

Is there a nonprofit calendar template or example content calendar we can use?

The great thing about creating a nonprofit content calendar is that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel every year. Many key dates will remain consistent, so you can refresh your calendar based on new priorities and what worked (or didn’t work) the previous year. 

If you’re just getting started or are looking for nonprofit social media post ideas to elevate your existing calendar, The Seasonal LinkedIn Content Calendar for Impactful Fundraising can help. This resource, created in collaboration with our friends at Classy, features a list of major content calendar holidays, along with free templates and best-in-class examples to inspire you.

Download your free Seasonal LinkedIn Content Calendar today.